Alabama Drunk Driving Laws

Alabama Drunk Driving Laws

There are two avenues of punishment everyone should consider when arrested for DUI. There are civil issues and criminal issues. The civil issues are those concerning a driver’s license. For a first DUI conviction, the driver’s license will be suspended for 90 days. If during the DUI arrest a driver refuses to take a breath test, has a passenger under the age of 14 within the vehicle, or someone other than the driver is injured during the operation of the vehicle, then the driver’s license will be suspended for 90 days and an ignition interlock device shall be installed for a period of two years. If a driver provides a breath test and the result is .15 or higher, the driver’s license will be suspended for one year.

For a second DUI conviction within a five-year period, the driver’s license will be revoked for one year and an ignition interlock device must be installed for a period of two years.

For a third DUI conviction within a five-year period, the driver’s license will be revoked for three years and an ignition interlock device must be installed for a period of three years.

For a fourth or subsequent DUI conviction within a five-year period, the driver’s license will be revoked for five years and an ignition interlock device must be installed for a period of five years.

The second avenue that a person arrested for DUI must be concerned with is the criminal aspect of the arrest. This can range from fines/probation to being incarcerated for a length of time. For a first DUI conviction, the court must impose a fine of at least $600 and not more than $2,100. A driver can also be sentenced to serve up to a year in jail. If the driver provides a breath test of .15 or higher, the minimum fine double to $1,200.

For a second DUI conviction within a five-year period, the court must impose a fine of $1,100 and not more than $5,100. The court can sentence a person up to a year in jail and must sentence the driver to at least five days in jail or 30 hours of community service.

For a third DUI conviction within a five-year period, the court must impose a fine of $2,200 and not more than $10,100. The court can sentence a person up to a year in jail and must sentence the driver to at least 60 days in jail.

For a fourth DUI conviction within a five-year period, the driver can be found guilty of a Class C felony. The punishment for this offense is a minimum fine of $4,100 and not more than $10,100. The driver may also be incarcerated for a period of one year and one day up to ten years. The mandatory sentence for a fourth conviction is ten days incarceration.

If a driver provides a breath test with a .15 or higher, the court shall punish the driver of the vehicle with double the minimum punishment as discussed above. This means that fines and jail sentences will be doubled.

A conviction can have a serious impact upon the daily lives of those individuals arrested for DUI. The attorneys at Parkman White, LLP have specialized in the defense of those drivers charged with DUI. Allow us to walk you through this process.

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The Birmingham office of Parkman White, LLP, represents clients throughout Alabama, in a wide range of legal matters including Bankruptcy, Civil Lawsuits, Criminal Defense, Divorce, DUI, White Collar Criminal Defense, and Wills and Probate. We regularly represent clients in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Ashville, Pell City, Cullman, Anniston, Hoover, Homewood, Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, Pelham, Bessemer, Columbiana, Oneonta, Gardendale, Fultondale, Irondale, Trussville, Leeds and throughout Jefferson, Shelby, Calhoun, Blount, Tuscaloosa, and St. Clair Counties in Alabama. These recoveries and testimonials are not an indication of future results. Every case is different, and regardless of what friends, family, or other individuals may say about what a case is worth, each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties, and the testimony, among other factors. Furthermore, no representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.